Lecture: Capacitance

Ref book: Fundamentals of Physics - D. Halliday, R. Resnick & J. Walker (10th Ed.)
Prepared by Asad
Institute of Natural Sciences
United International University

Web ref provided on slides

 Capacitors
A capacitor is a passive two-
terminal electronic component that
stores electrical energy in an electric field.

Capacitors
• have 2 terminals,
• with equal but opposite charges in each,
• separated by dielectrics.

Ref: google image, wikipedia

 Capacitors
Capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for
 blocking direct current while allowing alternating
current to pass,
 in analog filter networks, smoothing the output
of power supplies,
 in resonant circuits to tune radios to
particular frequencies,
 in electric power transmission systems, stabilizing
voltage and power flow.
The property of energy storage in capacitors was
exploited as dynamic memory in early digital
computers.

Ref: google image, wikipedia

 Capacitance
Capacitance is physically the ability of a system to store an
electric charge. Capacitance is defined as the ratio of the
change in an electric charge in a system to the corresponding
change in its electric potential.
𝑞
𝐶=
𝑉
The capacitance of the capacitor here is proportional to the
surface area of the plates (conductors) and inversely related
to the gap between them.

Charge separation in a parallel-

plate capacitor causes an
internal electric field. A dielectric
(orange) reduces the field and
Ref: google image, wikipedia increases the capacitance.
 Capacitors and dielectrics
The physical form and construction of practical capacitors vary widely and
many capacitor types are in common use. Most capacitors contain at least
two electrical conductors often in the form of metallic plates or surfaces separated by
a dielectric medium.

A dielectric (or dielectric material) is

an electrical insulator that can be
polarized by an applied electric field.
When a dielectric is placed in an electric
field, electric charges do not flow
through the material as they do in
an electrical conductor but only slightly
shift from their average equilibrium
positions causing dielectric polarization.
Ref: google image, wikipedia
 Gauss’ Law
Gauss’ law states that the net flux of an electric field in a closed surface is directly
proportional to the enclosed electric charge.
The capacitance of the capacitor here is proportional to the surface area of the
plates (conductors) and inversely related to the gap between them.

Ref: toppr.com
 Capacitance: In a parallel plate capacitor
The simplest model capacitor consists of two thin parallel conductive
plates each with an area of A separated by a uniform gap of thickness d
filled with a dielectric with permittivity ɛ. It is assumed the gap d is much
smaller than the dimensions of the plates.
In an arbitrary electric field E along surface ds
he potential difference between two points i
and f is given by

For a path from the negative plate to the

positive plate, the vectors E and ds and will
have opposite directions; so the dot product
will be equal to -E ds. Ref: Ref book
 Capacitance: In a parallel plate capacitor
To relate the electric field between the plates of a capacitor to the charge
q on either plate, we shall use Gauss’ law:

We draw a Gaussian surface that encloses just the charge q on the positive
plate to have , where both vectors are parallel.
E can be placed outside the integral from previous page because it is a
constant, which is then is simply the plate separation d.

If we now substitute q and V into the relation q = CV, we find

Ref: Ref book

Capacitance: In a cylindrical plate capacitor
The expression for the electric potential V mains same for this
section. However, the integral in V becomes:

where ds=-dr and area of the curved part of

Gaussian surface is 2πrL, and for that surface

Finally,

Ref: Ref book

 Capacitance: In a spherical plate capacitor
The expression for the electric potential V mains same for this
section. However, the integral in V becomes:

where ds=-dr and area of the curved part of

Gaussian surface is 4πr2, and for that surface

Finally,

Ref: Ref book

 Capacitance: Problems
• Prob. 1: In Fig. 25-7a, switch S is closed to connect the uncharged
capacitor of capacitance C=0.25 µF to the battery of potential
difference V =12 V. The lower capacitor plate has thickness L=0.50 cm
and face area A=2.0X104 m2, and it consists of copper, in which the
density of conduction electrons is n =8.49 X 1028 electrons/m3. From
what depth d within the plate (Fig. 25-7b) must electrons move to the
plate face as the capacitor becomes charged?
• Soln: Sample problem in Fig. 25-01 (page-723).

Ref book, page 662

Soln:
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Series: Figure shows three capacitors connected in
series to battery B.
A potential difference V is applied across the two
ends of the series. The potential differences that then
exist across the capacitors in the series produce
identical charges q on them.
When a potential difference V is applied across
several capacitors connected in series, the capacitors
have identical charge q. The sum of the potential
differences across all the capacitors is equal to the
applied potential difference V.

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
Series: When we analyze a circuit of capacitors in series, we can
simplify it with this mental replacement:
Capacitors that are connected in series can be replaced with an
equivalent capacitor that has the same charge q and the same total
potential difference Vas the actual series capacitors.
To derive an expression for Ceq we first find the potential difference of
each actual capacitor:

• The total potential difference V due to the battery is the sum of these
three potential differences. Thus,

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
Series:
The equivalent capacitance is then

Or

We can easily extend this to any number n of capacitors as

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Parallel: An electric circuit in which three
capacitors are connected in parallel to
battery B. The same potential difference V
is applied across the groups of plates.
Thus, each capacitor has the same
potential difference V, which produces
charge on the capacitor.
When we analyze a circuit of capacitors in
parallel, we can simplify it with this mental
replacement: Capacitors connected in
parallel can be replaced with an equivalent
capacitor that has the same total charge q
and the same potential difference V as the
actual capacitors.
Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Parallel:
To derive an expression for Ceq we first find the charge on each actual
capacitor:

The total charge on the parallel combination is then

The equivalent capacitance, with the same total charge q and applied
potential difference V as the combination, is then

a result that we can easily extend to any number n of capacitors, as

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Prob. 2: (a) Finding equivalent capacitance.
• Soln: Sample problem 25.02 in page 726

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Prob. 2: (a) Finding equivalent capacitance.
• Soln: Sample problem in page 665

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Prob. 2: (a) Finding equivalent capacitance.
• Soln: Sample problem in page 665

Ref book
 Capacitors: Combinations
• Prob. 2: (a) Finding equivalent capacitance.
• Soln: Sample problem in page 665

Ref book
At a glance: problem 2 (a)
 Problem 2 (a:)
Soln:
 Problem 2 (b):
Soln:
Problem-3: A storage capacitor on a RAM chip has a capacitance of 55 fF. if
the capacitor is charged to 5.3 V, how many excess electrons are on its
negative plate?

Soln: We know, 𝑞 = 𝑛𝑒

𝑞 𝐶𝑉 55×10−15 𝐹×5.3𝑉
=> 𝑛 = = =
𝑒 𝑒 1.6×10−19 𝐶
=1.8× 108 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠

Ans: 1.8× 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒔

 Capacitors: Charging
Problem-4: Finding equivalent capacitance.
Soln: Sample problem in page 666

Ref book
 Capacitors: Charging
Soln:
Problem-5:
S until they have

the same potential difference V. Find V.

Soln: We can relate the

Original charge 𝑞0 with the final charges 𝑞1 and 𝑞2 by writing
𝑞0 = 𝑞1 + 𝑞2 . Again, q=CV.
∴ 𝐶1 𝑉0 = 𝐶1 𝑉 + 𝐶2 V
𝐶1 6.30𝑉 ×3.55𝜇𝐹
=> 𝑉 = 𝑉0 = =1.79 V
𝐶1 +𝐶2 3.55𝜇𝐹+8.95𝜇𝐹
Ans: 1.79 V
 Capacitors: Energy of charged capacitors
The work required to charge a capacitor is being stored in the form of
electric potential energy U in the electric field between the plates.
Assume that at a given instant, a charge q has been transferred from
one plate of a capacitor to the other. The potential difference V
between the plates at that instant will be q’/C. If an extra increment of
charge dq’ is then transferred, the increment of work required will be,
dW=V’dq’=(q’/C)dq’
The work required to bring the total capacitor charge up to a final value
q is

This work is stored as potential energy U in the capacitor, so that

Ref book
 Capacitors: Energy of charged capacitors
Energy density in a parallel plate capacitor:

Using for that capacitor, we have

As , we can write for the energy density:

Ref book
Capacitors: Electron volt

Ref google
 Capacitors: Dielectric media
Dielectric, insulating material or a very
poor conductor of electric current.
When dielectrics are placed in an
electric field, practically no current flows
in them because, unlike metals, they
have no loosely bound, or free, electrons
that may drift through the material.
Instead, electric polarization occurs.

Ref book
 Problem-6:
Soln:
 Problem-7:
Soln:
Problem-8:
Soln:
 Practice problem
Problem-9:

Soln:
Practice problem
Problem-10:
Soln:
Practice problem
Problem-11:
Soln:
Practice problem
Problem-12:
Soln:
Practice problem
Problem-13:
Soln:
Practice problem
Problem-14:
Soln:
Capacitors: Polarization vector & displacement
vector

Ref book
Capacitors: Laplace’s equations

Ref book
Capacitors: Poission’s equations

Ref book
Capacitors: Gausses law with dielectric

Ref book